I've been shooting a Phase One medium format camera lately. The more I shoot the camera for landscapes and architecture, the more I like the results. I'm going to try doing some Maplethorpe style images of a single flower or plant bud with a black felt background and see what happens. The difference in image quality between the Canon 1D-X and the Phase One is amazing.

EvilTed

As an owner of 5D III, 50L, 16-35 f2.8 II, 24-70 f2.8 II and 70-200 f2.8 IS II - believe it or not, my go to camera now is Sony RX1. So small and it takes amazing photos

I really wish Sony or Fuji comes out FF sensor camera build in P&S body size(like RX1) that allow switching lenses. If they do, I'll sell all Canon oversized gear and settle for smaller gear. Just give me some pancake lenses: 14 or 16mm on wider, 35 or 50mm ave, and 135 or 200 for mid.

I've been shooting a Phase One medium format camera lately. The more I shoot the camera for landscapes and architecture, the more I like the results. I'm going to try doing some Maplethorpe style images of a single flower or plant bud with a black felt background and see what happens. The difference in image quality between the Canon 1D-X and the Phase One is amazing.

I have another friend that shoots with Phase one and is very happy. Shoots Canon when he is out and about. If you ever have a chance to shoot both the phase one and a D800E, I'd love to see some comparison shots. Thanks.

I am aware of the subject title, but the comment was about "leading the pack" and despite the subject title "I only use Canon" is still kept in the poll i.e. still in the race ... so anything that is included in a poll and is in the number 1 position is always referred to as "leading the pack"

Those things are bloody gorgeous. There's no more intimate a form of photography than photography undertaken with a waist-level viewfinder on a 6x6-6x9 camera. Whether it's your focus by bellows, an AF 645 SLR or 6x6 Russian TLR, medium format film photography is sincerely an inspired undertaking in and of itself. Especially when you develop your film yourself...it really slows you down when you shoot with a specific development in mind.

I am aware of the subject title, but the comment was about "leading the pack" and despite the subject title "I only use Canon" is still kept in the poll i.e. still in the race ... so anything that is included in a poll and is in the number 1 position is always referred to as "leading the pack"

As the second system I have a Leaf Aptus 75 digital back on a Linhof Techno digital view camera, most of my landscape photography is done with that system. It would have been deadly expensive unless I had bought almost everything second hand. I like the quality for landscape pictures I get out of my Canon too, but use the Linhof to get movements (shifts and tilts) on all focal lengths and it's an all-mechanical camera (shutter and all), using a loupe on a ground glass to focus. I like getting back to basics, but without having to mess around with film, it's really fun to work with.

Images get very sharp of course, the "large format" lens designs (only primes of course) are near distortion-free, have large image circles (for shifting) and very sharp, with the drawback that largest opening is only f/5.6 and there's huuuuuge vignetting on the wides so one needs center filters and correct for color cast. The same designs would not work for a hand-held DSLR.

The slower workflow has also made me more thoughtful about the pictures, so I get home with fewer but higher quality pictures which makes me spend less time at the computer, which is great. However now when getting used to the Linhof I also work in a similar way with the Canon when out doing landscape, so one does not necessarily need a slow camera to work slow .

I use the whole range of Oly's Four Thirds camera and lenses when I have to shoot in what could be considered not-so-safe countries and locations. The size of -1D bodies and attached White lenses has gotten me into trouble once to many! So, when I have to shoot (professionally) in Third World countries, I have a complete set of Oly stuff which (especially without battery grip) is small and very inconspicious! My customers don't complain about the quality of the pictures so no skin of my back not using the mighty Canon cannons.